Inclined to Love
by Predec2
Summary: Brian, his son, and Justin's best friend all have a secret they're sharing. What could it be? Short sequel to "Love and Drama at the Sit-A-Spell." *THIS STORY IS NOW COMPLETE!*
1. Chapter 1

Brian prepares his son and Daphne to help with his surprise for Justin's early graduation.

* * *

 _February 12 - Four years later, Britin - Thursday, 7:30 a.m._

"Well, if it isn't the esteemed, soon-to-be Dr. Chanders," Brian dryly commented as Daphne - clad in a lavender-colored terry bathrobe cinched at the waist, with her feet stuffed into white-and-pink bunny slippers - let out a massive yawn as she approached from the hallway. "That's what you get for staying out partying all night. By the way, that's a lovely ensemble you're wearing this morning," he couldn't help adding as she rolled her eyes at him, shuffling her feet toward the coffeemaker.

 _If only_ , she thought, as she poured herself some of the strong brew into a mug already filled with milk and sugar, the way she always drinks it. She hid her smile, knowing precisely who had prepared it. "I wish," she mumbled as she blew on the coffee to cool it off somewhat before taking an appreciative sip. She knew Pre-Med would entail dedicating long hours for her schoolwork and practicums, but nothing had prepared her for this schedule. It was... _insane_. That was the only word she could think to describe it. And if she wasn't so intent on pursuing something in the medical field, and wasn't so passionate about pediatrics in particular, she would have quit a long time ago. But she wouldn't let it defeat her; she was in it for the long haul, sanity or not.

Gus looked up curiously from his place at the kitchen table, watching as Daphne went in search of the cream cheese out of the refrigerator, and his father automatically reached for the blueberry bagels to drop the two halves into the toaster. The young boy was chowing down on one of his favorite breakfast cereals - Cheerio's, since the train conductor several years ago at Dollywood had told him that he always ate them for his morning meal - and Gus was intent on following in his footsteps; at least, until something else came along. So far, however, his interest in trains hadn't waned, and his dream job when he 'growed' up, as he put it, was to 'steer' the big trains. He was already practicing by using the scale-built, miniature train out in the backyard that his father had found for him at an amusement park that went out of business.

Except for rain, snow, or bitter cold, the spitting image of Brian was out there every day possible playing conductor, even if his only passengers at times were some of his stuffed animals. Brian couldn't begin to count the number of days that he and Justin had stood by the back patio, watching as Gus chirped animatedly at the silent passengers as he asked for their tickets - using a hole punch as his tool for verification - and instructing them not to stand up before he took his place in the conductor's seat as a silent signal that he was ready. His father or Justin would then obediently come out and start it up before he took off on the track, making sure to pull the rope to toot the horn exactly three times at every 'vehicle crossing' he came to during his route. Thank God they lived far enough away that the neighbors weren't bothered by it; in fact, a lot of the kids nearby found excuses to pop in on a frequent basis, just to have another ride on the "Gus Express," as Brian's son had chosen to call it. It was a variation of the "Polar Express," which had quickly become an obsession with him, as soon as it had come out. It was so bad by now that everyone - not only Gus - could recite each line of the movie word-for-word, but the little boy never grew tired of it.

"Hi, Aunt Daphne," he greeted her brightly, wiping some errant milk off his mouth with the sleeve of his pajama shirt, evoking a resigned sigh from his father. No matter how polite his son was - and how much he coached him on proper dining etiquette - he always chose to forego his napkin and use his sleeve instead for that task.

"Hi, Sweetie," she greeted him with a smile before turning to face his father. Very funny," she retorted as she placed her coffee mug down and reached up in an overhead cabinet to retrieve a small plate, just as the bagel shot up from the toaster. Leaning against the cabinets near her, Brian unfolded his arms to pull open the silverware drawer to hand Daphne a knife as she slathered a generous amount of cream cheese onto her bagel. "You know I got a grand total of three hours' sleep last night?" she groused.

Brian grinned at her as she munched, standing up beside him, on one half of the bagel, resembling a horse who slept as she stood up. "Ah, the glamorous life of a pre-med student." He chuckled as she scowled at him. "By the looks of your hair - which could currently be holding a bird's nest in it - and your elegant dress, I would say you're getting a bit of a reprieve this morning," he observed as he got a 'ha, ha' response from her. "Good...because there's something I need to talk to both you and Gus about while Justin's not here." Justin's classes at PIFA began very early on Wednesdays, even before Brian headed into work, so today was the perfect day to talk freely between the three of them without the chance of being overheard from a certain, inquisitive blond. A man who seemed to have abnormally excellent hearing, especially in light of the fact that he used to work at a noisy, crowded, family restaurant. If he didn't know that Justin was just an ordinary man, he would swear that Michael had created him as a new superhero - _Justin, the Owl Man._ He would have named him Bat Man, since technically bats supposedly had better hearing than owls, but since that name had already been taken, he had decided that Justin was Owl Man. He even called him that sometimes when his lover answered a question that Brian never in his wildest dreams thought he could possibly overhear. But today was too important to take any chances. There was too much at stake.

Daphne's eyes sparkled with curiosity, despite her drowsy state. "Why does Justin have to be gone?" she asked as Gus, too, turned to stare up at his father, dying to know the same thing.

"Duh. So he won't hear what I'm about to say," he snickered.

Daphne groaned as Gus chimed in, "But why, Daddy? You told me it's not nice to keep secrets from people."

"That's right, Sonny Boy. But this is also a surprise, too. A nice surprise, so if we don't keep it a secret from Justin, it won't BE a surprise then, right?" Gus vigorously nodded his head before he picked up his bowl, and quickly brought the lip of the container up to his mouth to 'chug-a-lug' the remaining milk down before placing it back down onto the table top.

"Gus..." But it was too late as his son took a swipe this time with his other sleeve before sliding off his chair and dutifully taking his bowl and spoon over to the sink to set it down. "What's the surprise, Daddy?" he asked eagerly, his face so open and innocent that Brian didn't have the heart to gently remind him (again) about the proper use of a napkin. He supposed that would come in time - for the most part, Gus was a very polite and tidy child, at least before playtime - and besides, that was what washers and dryers were for. He shook his head in amusement as he reached down and lifted Gus to sit on top of the counter to face him, smiling as the boy giggled in reaction.

"Yeah, Daddy. What's the surprise about?" Daphne teased him, idly twirling her robe belt in her hand. It seemed that ever since she and Justin had both waited on tables at the _Sit-A-Spell_ , she could never really be still; Brian had decided long ago that she was even more of a fidgeter than his own child.

"Kinky," Brian remarked as Daphne grinned. "Before I tell you, you both have to swear to not breathe a word of this to him." It was hard enough to keep secrets from his lover - the man managed normally to wrangle information out of him quite easily, in fact, normally after a particularly rigorous bout of lovemaking, when Justin persistently chattered on afterward. At first, it had seemed annoying to him - why talk after having mind-blowing sex? Now, though, it was expected, and had oddly become endearing. But this was too important to reveal inadvertently, not if he wanted it to work properly. The first part of his plan had already been set in motion earlier in the week. Now it was time for the next part; the culmination which hopefully would be tonight. "Swear," he repeated firmly.

Daphne and Gus promptly both held up their hand and pressed their pointer and middle fingers together; it was the way that Gus's teacher at school made her students vow to keep their promises, and once Gus had mimicked the gesture at home, he had made everyone promise to abide by the same action.

"Say it."

Daphne huffed but replied at the same time as Gus, "I swear." Her eyes sparkled as she added, "I bet it's about his graduation, isn't it? You want us to help you pick out a gift that's totally impractical and romantic - the exact opposite of what YOU would select." Justin had been such a quick study at PIFA that he had completed his graduation requirements early; he would have to wait until May to 'officially' graduate with his schoolmates, but for now he had finished up all his academic studies, and as of Monday, he would be starting work at a local art gallery downtown. It was just a job as the personal assistant to the owner, but it had ample studio space, and it would give him a chance to hopefully display some of his own works in the near future. At either rate, Justin was unofficially done at PIFA, and was very excited about his new job.

Brian huffed. "Wrong, Medicine Woman! Actually, I already have that handled, thank you very much."

Daphne shook her head. "Oh, no," she replied, as Gus peered up at her with a frown, wondering what THAT meant. She sighed melodramatically. "Well, I hope you do something that isn't totally _useful,_ at least." She said the word as if it were a bad thing.

"Will you just listen to what I have to say? You might find out that it will actually answer your question." He paused as his companions remained silent - fortunately. "Okay. Then listen up. Daphne, first of all, you'll need to call in tomorrow night for your rounds."

Daphne looked at Brian as if he had just grown tentacles. "Do you know how hard that is going to be, Brian?" she told him with a glare. "Nothing short of death is considered a legitimate excuse for missing our clinicals, at least to Dr. Ayers." The man was highly respected in his field, but his bedside manner, in her opinion and those of her classmates, left a lot to be desired _Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach_. It certainly fit where he was concerned.

"Well, then, you're about to come down with a highly contagious disease; something like meningitis."

Daphne snorted. "Oh, he'll really believe that! Besides, that would keep me away from patients for days! Do you know how contagious that can be?"

"Okay. Well, then, your father unexpectedly passed away."

"Brian! I want my parents there at my graduation! Even if they _can_ be a pain in the a...uh, a pain," she finished, knowing that Gus was soaking everything in that she said, like he always did. "Don't you think he'll wonder how my father suddenly arose from the dead?"

"I know, Aunt Daphne!" Gus chimed in. "You can say your pet turtle died! I know _I_ would be upset if anything ever happened to Greenie."

Daphne smiled fondly at the young boy. "That's very creative of you, Gus. And I'm sure that would definitely be a very sad occasion. But I'm going to need something even better than that." She lifted one eyebrow as she peered over at Brian. "Maybe if I knew exactly why I was in effect risking my entire grade by doing this, I might get inspired."

A few minutes later - after Brian had fully explained the reason why - she knew she would find a way.

* * *

 _The Next Morning...Britin_

Perched high atop his shoulders, Gus squealed as Justin walked down the upstairs hallway toward the staircase with a bounce in his step, causing the boy to jiggle up and down like he was riding a horse. It was often a morning ritual with them, and while both loved it, Brian always held his breath whenever they did. It wasn't so much the carrying part; he knew Justin was holding onto Gus securely, and that Justin would never knowingly hurt him. But he had discovered to his consternation that once his lover had come to live with them that he could be a bit of a daredevil, just like his son. He watched from the bottom of the staircase as, sure enough, Justin carefully lowered him down and turned him around so Gus had his back to his father.

"Catch me, Daddy!" Gus yelled as he straddled the smooth, polished wood of the staircase banister and grasped the sides with his hands, sliding expertly down the railing with his backpack until he got to the end, screaming in delight the entire way. Brian heaved a sigh of relief as he caught him just as Gus reached the bottom, swinging him around as his son squealed again.

Brian sighed, giving his son a kiss on the cheek before lowering him to the ground as Justin caught up with them. "You two are going to be the death of me...in more ways than one," he replied, eying Justin meaningfully as his lover merely met his gaze with a shrug. "Your cereal's ready, Sonny Boy. We'll be right there, okay? Your Aunt Daphne's already gone to school." They would be meeting up with her later this evening, unbeknownst to Justin, who had been told by Daphne earlier not to expect her until very late tonight due to an extended round of clinicals. She had finally settled on telling her clinical instructor that she had conjunctivitis, which was a shorter-term contagious period than meningitis (and far less deadly), and figured she would probably not get _any_ sleep for days to make up for it. But she also knew she wouldn't miss this for the world, and she would do anything for Justin, just as he would do anything for her. How far they had come since they had shared that apartment and beat-up car of hers in Tennessee!

"It's fun, Daddy!" Gus declared as he peered up at his father. "You should try it. Right, Justin?"

Justin grinned. "Well, your father did tell me that he played sports in school..."

"Well, we play with balls at recess," Gus told them. "Did you ever do that in school?"

Brian affectionately ruffled his son's hair as he tightened the straps a little on his son's backpack, which, of course, had various types of trains drawn all over it. "Of course I did. Doesn't every little boy like to play with them? And I _still_ do," he added with a smirk, making Justin blush at the thought of just what sort of 'balls' he was referring to. _Damn man_. He could feel his body responding as he thought back to last night. It wasn't that their time in bed had been all that different from all their other times. Sometimes Brian liked it fast and rough - which was fine with him, because he knew Brian would never hurt him, and it turned into one hell of a ride every time. And sometimes he liked it more slow and easy. But there had been something that he couldn't quite put a finger on that was different about their time last night. It was...more intense. More eye contact. More pauses in between bringing him to the brink of orgasm. Tenderer, even. He knew that Brian, even though he had admitted out loud before that he did love him, was better at showing him than telling him. So who knows? Maybe it was his weird way of celebrating Valentine's Day early, without actually coming out and telling him that, because he wouldn't be caught dead commemorating such an outward symbol of love and romanticism. He had enough trouble getting his lover to celebrate Christmas, and that was only because of Gus for the most part. So he wasn't sure of the reason why. But last night had definitely been lovemaking, and it had been sweet and intensely satisfying, even though his partner had frustrated the hell out of him until at last he had been allowed to climax. To be several years older than he, Brian Kinney could more than keep up with him in the stamina department. He turned his attention back to the present when he heard Brian call out his name, realizing he had temporarily zoned out. "What? Sorry, my mind was preoccupied."

Brian smiled. That helped to steer him away from thinking about anything else, hopefully. Like why he wasn't at work yet, which was practically unheard of. "You mean, with visions of little paintbrushes and acrylics in your pretty, little head?"

Justin rolled his eyes as Brian tucked his tongue firmly in his cheek. "No, not quite," he answered saucily. He sighed as he glanced up at the clock. "I've got to get going." He paused with a frown as he realized how late it was. "Why aren't you at Kinnetik? Normally, you'd be long gone by now."

 _Well, so much for overlooking it_ , Brian ruminated. "Cynthia texted me earlier, and told me the electricity is out in the building for some reason, so I figured there wasn't much point in trying to get any work done. You know how dark that building can be if there're no lights on."

Again, Justin's face grew warm. Yeah, a former bathhouse wouldn't be concerned with letting in copious amounts of natural sunlight; not for the purpose it was used for. So Brian was correct; when the lights were off, it was extremely dark; just perfect for some tomfoolery when the employees were still there, unknowing of the two of them in Brian's private shower in his bathroom, fucking their brains out. There was something about having your sense of touch and sound heightened when you couldn't see anything that was very erotic, they had discovered; so much so that sometimes they deliberately flicked the lights off when they fucked. It was yet another way they had found to keep their sex life from ever getting boring, not that Justin thought that would ever happen anyway. He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, I know." Brian grinned at him, the two of them sharing the same type of thought, no doubt, before he let out a deep breath. "You all set?" he asked Gus. "I'd better get going."

Gus nodded as Justin squatted down enough to grasp the young child by the shoulders and give him a kiss on the cheek, also. "Have a good day at school, Gus."

"You, too, Justin," Gus replied as Justin smiled. With a brief, soft kiss on the lips to Brian, he bid his two favorite men goodbye as he scooped up what he needed for school and headed toward the door to leave.


	2. Flying

_Early Evening - PIFA_

Justin could feel the weariness seeping into his bones as he left his last class for the day. He detested the short amount of light during this time of the year. It was only 6:00 p.m., and yet the sun would be setting very soon. During the day, a light layer of snow had fallen, sprinkling the city like fairy dust (he had to smirk at that thought) as he hefted his portfolio onto his shoulder and carried his things toward the bus stop...only to see a familiar vehicle parked at the curb. Pleased both that he wouldn't have to take the bus back home to the loft, and more to the point, seeing Brian's Jeep, he smiled in surprised delight as he walked closer to the vehicle. He waited until Brian slid the passenger window down before leaning into the Jeep.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

"What's it look like I'm doing, Sunshine? I'm picking you up from school, like any dutiful parent would do."

"Ha, ha," Justin retorted as he used the backseat handle to open the door and slide in his art supplies before closing it back and opening up the passenger side door to sit next to Brian. He waited a moment to slide the window back up to ward off the cold before he turned to study his lover more closely. Normally, the stylish way Brian was dressed at this time of day wouldn't be a surprise, since he would be coming from Kinnetik. But he had told him earlier he wasn't going in. "Brian?" he asked as his partner pulled slowly away from the curb.

"Hmm?"

"I thought you said you weren't going into work today because the electricity was out."

"I did."

"Did it come back on, then?"

Brian turned to look at his lover. "Nope." He smiled, secretly enjoying their little game.

"Then why are you all dressed up?" His partner was attired impeccably, wearing a black suit with a light gray pinstripe, a dark gray vest, and a crisp, white shirt. A precisely knotted, silver-colored tie completed his look, and his hair was combed neatly, with not a lock out of place. Justin longed to run his fingers through that thick hair to untame it however, knowing how soft it was, but with great reluctance he restrained himself somehow.

"Because I didn't want to be mistaken for another starving artist when I picked you up?"

Justin rolled his eyes as Brian grinned in reaction to his expression. "Nice try. Come on. Why are you all dressed up like that?"

Brian sighed. Justin could be the most persistent person when it came to asking questions about things he didn't understand, and he had expected nothing less tonight. "I have a reason," he finally replied cryptically. "That's all you need to know for now." He grinned again as he heard a distinctive harrumph from his passenger. "Don't worry; I won't let you come to any bodily harm, Sunshine. I promise you will come out of this little adventure totally unscathed."

" _What_ little adventure?"

"Uh, uh, uh. If I told you about it, then it wouldn't be an adventure, would it?"

Justin scowled at him. "Yes, it would. It would just be an adventure that I know about ahead of time. And I might come out of this unscathed, as you so quaintly put it, but whether or not YOU come tonight at all remains to be seen." Brian merely chuckled at his response, however, refusing to take the bait, as Justin crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child. Secretly, he was insanely curious as to what Brian had in mind. It wasn't like him to be so spontaneous like this, and he felt flattered in a way. But it was also driving him crazy. "Not even a little hint?" he asked slyly, as he reached over to slide the palm of his hand up Brian's thigh, heading toward his intended target.

Brian sucked in a breath as he grabbed the errant hand, just before it reached its desired destination. "Stop that, and behave yourself, Sunshine. You'll like it. You'll see. I promise." At least he hoped he was going to like it. He thought he knew what his reaction would be, but who knew when it came to this particular man? But, no, he decided. He trusted in Justin's love for him, and Justin knew that he loved him, too. And Justin adored his son, just as Gus thought of him as a second father. His instincts always served him well in advertising. He fervently hoped it would be the same tonight in his personal life. "Just a few more minutes," he told him, as dusk continued to march on toward darkness.

Justin kept silent for a few minutes, noticing Brian looking a little clammy, even though in the confines of the vehicle it was quite comfortable. "Brian, are you feeling okay?" he asked, concerned. He could see tiny beads of sweat sprinkled all over his forehead.

Brian glanced over at him before returning his eyes to the road. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're sweating, and you look a little pale. Are you sick? I can drive if you need me to."

Brian shook his head. _Fuck_. He had thought he had gotten over this damn phobia a long time ago. And he knew there would be solid footing underneath him. But it still made him quite anxious, just the same. That...and the reason for doing it in the first place. One was bad enough. But two together? No wonder his heart was pounding furiously. "I'm fine," he repeated a little more loudly this time, effectively putting an end to any further discussion about his 'condition.' Fortunately, Justin took the hint, and didn't question him further about it...at least, not until he turned onto Carson Street.

"Brian, this isn't the way home. What are we doing down here?"

His lover sighed. "Did I not tell you we were going on an adventure?" He kept his gaze straight ahead as he pulled into a parking lot. "Well, here we go." He took a deep breath to steel himself and let it out, putting the vehicle in park and cutting the engine, bathing the two of them in silence. The structure next to where they had parked was beautiful in its simplicity, its wooden frame and bushes out front lined with small, white, lights, just as Brian had asked. The dusting of snow had added a magical glow to them.

He opened his door, closed it, and walked around to the passenger side, where Justin seemed frozen to the spot. Shaking his head, Brian opened the door and gazed down at his beautiful companion, who met him with a quizzical look on his face. "The Incline?"

"Very observant, Mr. Taylor. Now will you please get out of the car? We're already running late."

"Late for what?" Justin glanced around as he reached to grab Brian's proffered hand and shut the door with his other. Fortunately, while it was February and quickly turning into nighttime, it wasn't extremely chilly or windy, so he wasn't especially cold. "Brian, what the fuck are we doing here?" Even though the Duquesne Incline was open year-round, he only saw two cars in the parking lot in addition to theirs. Even in February, that seemed a little sparse, but perhaps the winter weather was the reason for the lack of visitors. "Brian?" he repeated, exasperated.

"Well, you always said you wanted to climb new heights, so to speak, so here's your chance," Brian drawled as he curled his hand around Justin's shoulder and led him toward the Incline Visitor's Building. Obviously, then, that was Brian's intention. But why? And why _now_?

His eyes danced against the white, miniature lights decorating the century-old building as they walked closer. He had to admit that the snow made the entire scene quite beautiful, and he longed to sketch it. "Brian, aren't you a little overdressed for a ride up the Incline?" He smirked. "You might get splinters up your ass."

His lover snorted. "There's only one thing that will ever be up my ass, and if you don't stop with all the questions, it won't ever be there again."

Justin huffed back in a sort of 'yeah, right' type of sound, but nonetheless walked in ahead of Brian as he held the door open for him.

Brian pointed over toward a small restroom. "Go in there and get changed," he told him. "Hurry up."

"Huh?" Justin noticed there was only one person inside, sitting behind a wooden ticket booth and wearing a uniform to indicate he was an employee for the Incline. He didn't seem at all surprised to seem them for some reason, nor did he try to sell them a ticket.

"I said...go over to the restroom, and change. Your clothes are inside."

Justin gave him an incredulous look. "I HAVE clothes on! What in the hell am I changing INTO? An engineer's overalls? Wait, I know! The operator quit, and they need me to run it now."

"Very funny. Will you please just do as I say for once? Sheesh."

Totally perplexed, Justin turned and tromped over to the primitive-looking bathroom. Opening up the door, he saw a charcoal gray suit, light gray vest, and silver-colored tie hanging over the door stall, along with a cream-colored shirt. A pair of polished, black shoes completed the ensemble. The suit looked custom-fitted and very expensive; it definitely seemed out of place in such a basic, rustic structure as the Incline Depot. But then again, so did Brian's outfit. Furrowing his brow, he reached over to lightly finger the satiny material of the tie, slightly startled as he heard Brian's voice right outside the door.

"I don't hear any clothes rustling. Do I have to come in there myself?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Rolling his eyes, Justin unzipped his jacket and dropped it to the floor, unbuttoning his shirt and then unzipping his jeans to slide out of them.

"Need any help in there?"

Justin huffed, "Not THAT kind of help. You said to get dressed, not undressed!"

The employee who was pretending to casually read a magazine in his booth couldn't help raising his head over THAT comment, but quickly lowered his gaze as Brian met his head-on. He smiled warmly, though, as he suddenly noticed Justin's mom peering through the door to see where her son was. Motioning for her to enter, she smiled back at Brian as she carefully opened the door. He placed a finger over his lips to signify quiet as he walked over and pecked her on the cheek, nodding over toward the bathroom door. They could hear muttering coming from under Justin's breath as he did as he was asked, the hanger dropping to the floor as he began to don the tailor-made suit that Brian had chosen for him to wear.

Mouthing a silent 'thank you' to Jennifer, Brian stooped down to pick up his son and give him a kiss on the cheek, also.

"See you later," Jennifer whispered with a smile of her own as Brian nodded. He opened the door quietly to let her back outside, just before he heard the bathroom deadbolt being unlocked. His breath caught in his throat as the wooden, paint-worn, red door swung open, and there stood Justin. _My God_ , he thought, as he surveyed the results. Justin was stunning in the suit. It was perfect. HE was perfect.

But he didn't have much time to verbalize that thought as Justin's eyes lit up at the sight of Gus being held in his partner's arms. "Gus! What are you doing here? And how did you get here?" Justin asked him, his lips breaking out into a warm smile that practically lit up the drab spot. "And look at you! You look as handsome as your dad!" The little boy was wearing a suit that matched Brian's, except for a small, silver train pin attached to his lapel, and a black-and-white, paisley styled scarf tied around his neck instead of a formal tie. The little boy squirmed to get out of his father's grasp as Brian willingly handed him over to Justin, who received a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Your mom dropped him off for me," Brian explained.

Justin frowned. "My mom? Did she leave?" He looked around, but the interior was empty except for the three of them and the employee.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure you'll see your mommy later," Brian cooed, laughing at Justin's expression.

"I'm going to ride the train with you!" Gus exclaimed, jiggling up and down excitedly as he pointed toward the door heading to the incline car, which was presently situated at the bottom of the hill, right outside the depot.

"You are?" Justin replied with a smile, not feeling it necessary to point out that it wasn't actually a 'train.' But to Gus, it was close enough. All you had to do was look at the rapturous expression on his face to know how excited he was.

Gus nodded his head vigorously as Justin grinned, temporarily forgetting how overdressed they were. He wouldn't say it aloud, but to tell the truth, he was excited about checking out the incline as well; even though he had been in Pittsburgh for a few years now, he had never had the chance to ride the incline that provided a panoramic view of the downtown skyline. "Well, this is going to be my first time on this one. You, too?"

"Uh, huh," Gus told him. "But I brought my whistle in case we get stuck!" he stated, reaching inside his suit jacket breast pocket to produce the easily recognizable wooden toy from the _Sit-a-Spell_ store where it had been purchased. He gave it a loud toot, which caused both men - and the ticket taker - to briefly wince.

"I see it works as well as it always has," Brian dryly commented as Justin grinned. "Good thinking, Sonny Boy! Well, are you ready to go for a ride?" Gus nodded eagerly as he grabbed his father and Justin's hands to start pulling them toward the car.

"Hold on, there, Chief," Brian told him. "I have one more thing to do before we head up, okay?" Gus huffed a little bit in impatience, but obediently stood there as Brian walked over to grab a small, white box lying on a bench a few feet away; Justin hadn't even noticed it before then.

He watched in shock as Brian opened the lid and retrieved a boutonniere consisting of two, cream-colored roses, a sprig of baby's breath, and a stick pin. Justin thought his normally self-assured lover appeared almost shy as he walked over and pinned it to Justin's breast pocket. "Now...one for me and one for you, Sonny Boy, and then we'll be all ready." Justin watched, brow furrowed, as Brian repeated the same procedure for Gus, who craned his head downward to take a sniff, before he handed the last one to his partner. "I'm a little leery of providing you with a weapon," he teased him, indicating the long straight pin. "But I feel I have no choice."

Gus frowned, wondering why his father would call such an item a 'weapon.' "I can do it for you, Daddy," Gus helpfully offered. "Can you bend down? You're so high! Someday, I want to be as high as you!"

Justin had to keep from laughing as Brian replied, "That's very kind of you to offer, Sonny Boy, and I'm sure you'll be just as high as I am one day." He certainly knew his young son resembled him closely enough. "But it's really hard to push the pin through the flower, so I'll have to trust that Justin here has a good aim. But stand by in case I need some first aid, okay?"

Gus dutifully nodded as Justin quipped, "Don't tempt me." Brian grinned as his lover grasped his lapel and after several seconds managed to attach the same type of boutonniere as he had. He lifted his eyes to peer into Brian's as he commented, "This is awfully fancy for my graduation. Aren't we a little overdressed for a ride up the incline?"

"We have to properly observe the occasion, Sunshine," Brian instructed him. Gus giggled as he and his father exchanged some sort of meaningful look. "Let's get going. We've got a reservation later."

Justin's eyes widened. "We do? Where are we eating? You did that for my graduation? Brian, you didn't have to go to all this trouble." At least that explained why they were so dressed up.

Brian smirked as he grabbed Justin by his suit jacket and began to propel him toward the door heading out of the depot and into the incline car. "You and your food fetish. Who said anything about dinner?" he responded cryptically, one eyebrow raised. "Now quit stalling, Sunshine. Gus has been wanting to ride this thing forever."

Gus bobbed his head up and down in agreement as he grasped Justin's hand. "Come on, Justin!" he urged the young man. Justin good-naturedly allowed himself to be led toward the door leading out to the car, shivering slightly as the door opened and he got a brief blast of cold air before they hurriedly climbed into the red car. The row of windows surrounding them on all sides gave passengers a panoramic view of the city as the conductor, operating the car from inside the depot in the mechanical room, clutched the centuries-old handle to start the trio's descent up the hill.

Justin, who was sitting on one side of Brian with Gus on the other, felt him grip his hand tightly in his as several clanging and creaking sounds could be heard, and then one, brief jerk occurred before the car began its dark but steady ascent upward. The compartment of the car was simple, harkening back to its first days in use, constructed simply of rows of red, time-worn, wooden benches on all four sides. He knew the reason why Brian was clutching his hand so hard, but not the reason why he would subject himself to something like this when he could have picked anything - or anywhere - to celebrate his graduation.

Gus, on the other hand, instantly jumped up from his place as the car rose higher and higher to dash across to the other side, kneeling on the bench as he pressed his hands against the window, his eyes wide with awe at all the twinkling lights spread out before them. The higher they rose, the more he could see, and the dusting of snow added an additional enchantment to the scene. "Daddy, this is neat!" he cried out, a broad smile on his face as he turned to peer over at his father. "You can see everywhere!"

Brian's face, on the other hand, was pale and wan as he closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm glad you like it, Sonny Boy," he told him hoarsely. He had thought he had gotten better about his fear of heights, and he knew this wasn't like the ski lift at Gatlinburg that had made him want to puke his guts out. He knew this contraption, at least, had a metal track that it ran upon. But as the incline proceeded higher and higher up the path, he wondered if he had thought this idea out thoroughly enough, because his stomach was tied up in knots. Was it because of the ride, though, something else that he knew was about to happen - or both? For whatever reason, he could feel the nausea bubble up inside of him, and concentrated on the warm hand clutching his, and the feel of Justin's leg molded next to him.

"Brian?" Justin softly called out to him, as he reached over and brushed the back of his free hand against Brian's cheek. "You okay?"

Brian opened his eyes to turn his head and peer over at his lover. He swallowed and then nodded, knowing Justin would see right through it, but unable to speak at the moment.

"Daddy! Daddy! Where's my camera?" Gus cried out. "You should come see this!"

"Your suit pocket," Brian croaked out. "And I'll take your word for it, Sonny Boy. Just...be careful and hold onto something, okay? In case we hit a...bump."

Gus's brow furrowed in thought as he whipped his head around to study the compartment of the cable car. "Where's the horn, Daddy? And why isn't anyone driving it?"

Despite his anxiety, Brian couldn't help giving his son a tender look. "They do it differently here, Gus. They control it from down below where we started. They have something like a television where they can watch us going up to the top. Don't worry; it's completely safe. They've never had an accident, and they keep a close eye on it."

"Yeah, Dad," Justin whispered as he squeezed Brian's hand. "No accidents. Completely safe."

Brian took a deep breath and let it out before he nodded. "I'll try to remember that."

Justin shook his head in amazement, impressed, just like he had been when Brian had agreed to ride the lift up to Ober Gatlinburg, despite his fear of heights. Once more, it demonstrated just how much he loved his son.

Gus pressed his face against the glass. "This is so cool, Daddy! Do you know you can see the river down there? And all the buildings?"

"I'll...take your word on that, Sonny Boy," he replied, his voice raspy. "Are you getting some pictures?"

Gus nodded his head vigorously. "Want to see?"

"Later, Sonny Boy." Brian continued to hold Justin's hand in a death grip. What possessed him to even entertain this notion? If he didn't love both his son and Justin so damn much, he would have never agreed to do this. But the thought sprang to his mind, and once he did some research about it, he decided it was perfect for his purpose, despite his heart pounding in his chest. If it wasn't for Justin's presence to anchor his fear, he knew he would have never had the nerve to do what he was doing. But he could only hope that the end result would be worth it.

The ride was remarkably short - approximately two-and-half-minutes - but it seemed like a lifetime to Brian before it finally came to a stop. He rose shakily to his feet, still clutching Justin's hand like a lifeline, as the three of them headed toward the front of the car to disembark. As the doors slid open, he heard his lover gasp in wonder. The entire viewing area of the incline had been decorated with small, white, twinkling lights around the fence's perimeter much like down below, the light snow creating an festive blanket to the scene. Feathery, evergreen, triangular-shaped trees - planted temporarily in silvery pots - were arranged along the fence line at several points, also draped in the same type of lights. Even the tall viewing scopes that tourists used in their quest to get a close-up of the downtown skyline had been decorated in the same manner. Justin struggled to come up with the right word to describe what he was seeing. Finally, he decided on one in particular: enchanting.

"Brian," he murmured in shock, turning to gaze at his lover, his lips breaking out into a delighted smile. Brian couldn't help smiling back at his reaction as - finally emboldened by being back on solid ground - he let go of Justin's hand so the young artist could walk over to the edge of the wrought iron fence to peer down at the skyline, now decked out in thousands of sparkling lights, the water reflecting a rainbow of colors from the city's various skyscrapers. It was breathtaking, and for just a brief moment, Justin wanted to scold Brian for not allowing him to at least bring a sketchpad with him. But he also knew that Gus had his camera, so he was certain that he could do the scene proper justice once they returned home. "This is amazing," he exclaimed as Brian walked up to stand next to him, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. "You've never been up here before?"

Brian paused for a moment before he replied, "Not until recently. I never had a need to...until now." Justin turned to peer over at him curiously as Brian turned to search for his son, who was doing much the same thing as Justin: soaking in the various scenes each side of the viewing area provided. "Sonny Boy? Are you ready? It's time."

Gus giggled. "I'm ready, Daddy." He walked over toward them as Justin listened, perplexed.

"Time for _what_?" he asked. "I thought coming up here was my graduation present." He couldn't help sweeping his eyes around the entire scene as he stood close to the railing. "By the way, thank you for this. I never knew how amazing the view was up here," he murmured as he smiled at the sight. He had always had a particular fondness for nighttime; how a city seemed to sparkle and add a certain sensory excitement in his perception. Perhaps it was the artist in him, but he loved seeing all the lights and colors the mask of darkness provided, whether it was starlight, moonlight, city lights, or the kaleidoscope of colors presently dancing across the soft currents of the river below.

Brian smiled softly. "You're welcome. But that's not really your present." As he stared at the twinkling lights mirrored in his partner's eyes, he couldn't help thinking his view was more beautiful. He shook his head slightly, astonished in a way just how deeply he had fallen for this man. This depth of love he felt for him was something he never thought he would ever experience outside of his love for his son, but he was extremely thankful that he had been proven wrong.

Justin bestowed a half-smile on Brian's face, perplexed, as Gus moved to face Justin from a few feet away. Justin couldn't help peering tenderly down at the little boy who had so quickly captured his heart...along with the boy's father. He couldn't love the boy more if he were his own child. He watched in fascination as the boy looked over at his father seemingly for guidance as Brian urged him, "Go on, Sonny Boy."

"Now?" Gus asked.

Brian smiled. It was now or never. "Yes, now," he told him as Justin eyed him curiously.

"Justin?" Gus gazed up at the young man solemnly.

Justin smiled at him. "Yes, buddy?" He watched as Gus reached inside his miniature version of Brian's outfit, his hand seemingly struggling to locate what he was looking for. Gus frowned before his expression changed into one of what looked like relief as he retrieved what he was seeking and pulled it out, his hand curled into a fist to keep it secure. Justin figured it had to do with something about trains, since the little boy's obsession was still anything and everything having to do with that particular subject. But he quickly discovered that he was wrong as Gus opened his left hand and used his right to pick the small object up and hold it out toward Justin, who gasped as he realized what it was: a shiny, round, platinum ring.

"Justin, my Daddy and I would like to know if you would live with us forever. Would you be my other Daddy, and my Daddy's hus...hus..." He wrinkled his brow in distress, struggling to recall the word. He looked over at his father.

"Husband," Brian supplied for him softly, as his and Justin's eyes met.

Gus nodded, relieved. "Yeah...husband. Would you be daddy, too, and my daddy's husband? That means you would be married to him," he explained helpfully. "And you get to wear this. I wanted trains on it, but Daddy said that you would rather have one like this." His eyes danced as he told him proudly, "But I helped him pick it out! Do you like it?"

Justin was speechless as he stared down at the earnest, little boy who was holding the ring up for his inspection. He licked his dry lips and swallowed hard. This couldn't be happening, could it? In a way, it seemed like just yesterday that he had first encountered this child and his handsome father at that tourist-driven restaurant in Tennessee, but it hadn't taken long at all for him to fall hard for both of them. The man's love for the adorable, but precocious little boy he had met had quickly stolen his heart. Who could resist such a combination, anyway? But that was long ago. Long before he had fallen hopelessly in love with both of them. His eyes watered as he stared over into Brian's eyes, blinking as a few tears escaped.

"Justin..." Gus tugged on Justin's suit jacket suddenly to get his attention as he dragged his focus away from Brian to look down at his son. "Come on! Say yes! Daddy will be a good husband for you," he told him firmly. "And Daddy and I love you. You won't ever go away, will you? We don't want you to."

Justin finally found his voice as he shook his head, replying hoarsely, "No, Gus. I never want to leave. I love you and your Daddy, too."

"Then you're going to say yes?" Gus asked hopefully.

Justin bit his lip to try and quell the tears, but it was no use now. He smiled through watery eyes as he nodded. "Yes. Yes, it does," he repeated more strongly. "That's what I want, too."

Gus hopped excitedly up and down. "Yay!" He looked over at his father to say, "I told you, Daddy! I told you Justin would say yes!" He reached up to grab Justin's hand with his much smaller one as he advised, "Now hold still."

Justin had to grin at how serious Gus looked, his hand trembling as he observed Gus take the ring and begin to slide it on his middle finger until his father told him gently, "No, Sonny Boy. The other one. Number four, remember?" He held his hand up, spreading his fingers apart as explanation.

"Oh!" Gus acknowledged with a vigorous shake of his head. "Yeah, that one won't fit," he decided as Brian chuckled, oddly still feeling a little nervous. He would only decide it was for real when he saw Justin wearing his ring. He watched as Gus took the ring off the wrong finger, and slid it onto the correct one, his lips pressed firmly together in determination as he pushed it slowly all the way down, until it was resting snugly against the base. "There! Now you can't change your mind." He peered up at him. "You know that, right? Promise."

Justin laughed, the tears flowing freely now. "I promise," he whispered.

Gus frowned. "Why are you crying? You don't look sad."

Justin wiped the tears away with his left hand. "No, Buddy, I'm not sad," he assured him as he lifted Gus up to hold him in his arms so they were face-to-face. "Sometimes you cry when you're sad, but you also cry when you're happy, too."

"Ohhh..." Gus nodded in understanding. "So yours are happy tears?"

Justin swallowed again with a smile. "Very happy tears," he assured him as he gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. "I can't wait to be your other Daddy." He looked over at Brian to add, "And to be your Daddy's husband."

"Good!" Gus pronounced, deciding his mission was done. "Now can I go over and look at the lights? Daddy, can I use that thing over there?" He was indicating one of the anchored viewing scopes that you had to place a coin in to observe the view more closely.

Brian nodded. "In a minute, Sonny Boy. You go over and take some pictures, and Justin and I will be there shortly. I'm sure he'd appreciate that, because I know he's going to want to make some sketches of this later, okay? And that will be a big help to him."

"Okay, Daddy," Gus replied as Justin gently lowered him to the ground. The boy barely let his legs hit the cement surface before he rushed over to the railing, pulling his small camera out of another pocket in his jacket to begin taking pictures as his father had requested. Thankfully, the railing was too high for any chance of Gus falling over, but it still made Brian a bit concerned.

"Don't climb on the fence, Sonny Boy," he told him. "It's a long way down, and I left my superhero cape at home." Just the thought of HOW long a way down made him a little queasy, but at least it wasn't due now to waiting anxiously for Justin's response to Gus's question.

"Silly Daddy," Gus chided his father with a giggle. "You can't fly! You're too scared to even ride down the banister!"

Brian smiled. "You got me there, Sonny Boy, but still be careful, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy!"

He watched Gus stoop down to take a photo of the Pittsburgh skyline through the space between two of the wrought-iron poles before - satisfied that he was following his instructions - he turned to peer into his now fiancé's eyes.

Justin licked his lips and shook his head in amazement. "Brian...I...wow. I never expected this."

Brian offered a gentle smile. "Well, after all, I AM an ad man. We're in the business of keeping secrets, so I've had plenty of practice. I'm glad my little accomplice and I pulled it off as planned." He paused for a few beats before he added, "And I'm glad you said yes."

Justin gazed at him in surprise. "Was there ever any doubt? My God, I love you and Gus like no one else! Like I could _never_ love anyone else. This..." He raised his hand to admire the ring, still trying to come to grips with what had just happened. He watched as Brian reached to grasp the jewelry-clad hand in his, making him raise his eyes to peer into the soft, hazel ones, shaking his head in wonder. "I thought we were just going out to dinner after this, but...I'm stunned. Speechless."

"You?" Brian chuffed with a laugh. "That was worth every penny, then." He grinned as Justin smacked him, reaching out with lightning-quick reflexes to grasp his lover's wrist and bring the palm up to his lips, brushing them across the sensitive skin and making Justin sigh with contentment. "Come here. I'LL show you speechless." He pulled Justin into his arms as he captured his lips, taking time to thoroughly explore them before his tongue gently slid inside to kiss his fiancé passionately. The two lovers only stopped when they heard an exasperated, melodramatic sigh come from the other side of the viewing area.

"Not again!" Gus complained. "Can't you do that later? Daddy, you promised!"

The two broke apart to peer in amusement at the indignant, little boy, who had his hands on his hips, his camera swinging by its case strap wrapped around Gus's wrist.

"Promised I wouldn't kiss Justin?"

Gus rolled his eyes. "No, you promised you'd help me use this!" he pointed to the coin-operated viewing station located a few feet away from him. "You and Justin can kiss later! You're always kissing anyway. What's a few more minutes?"

The two men burst out laughing at the tone of Gus's voice as Brian grabbed Justin's hand to lead both of them to his son. 'Okay, Sonny Boy. I'll do my best to wait for at least ten more minutes before I kiss him again." He felt Justin shiver suddenly, realizing the temperature was quickly dropping in the night-time air. "Besides, it's getting cold," he told him. He reached inside his pants pocket to grab a couple of quarters he had been given earlier as change, and held them out to his child. "Here you go. I'll raise you up, and you put the quarters in, okay?"

Gus eagerly nodded over that arrangement as his father lifted him up enough so that his son was level with the viewing machine, and let him slide the two quarters into the slot. "Now you turn that knob until it looks clear," he told him. "Just like the binoculars we have at home, okay?"

Gus nodded as he did as he was told. "Neat!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I can see someone down on that long boat! Do you think he'd wave at me if I waved at him?"

Brian smiled. "That's called a tugboat, Sonny Boy," he explained. "But only the white part is a boat. The rest is a barge. That little, white boat is very powerful, because it's pushing that big, long barge up the river, just like the locomotive pulls all those cars on the train, right?"

Gus bobbed his head up and down; he knew all about how THAT worked, since he was the conductor on his own train in their backyard.

Brian smiled at his son affectionately. "And I think even if he wanted to wave back, it's too dark and too far away for him to see you right now. Take a little more time and look around," he told his son. "But we need to leave in a few minutes before you and Justin get too cold. And we don't want to be late for dinner."

Justin's ears perked up as a smile spread across his face. "Dinner? I _knew_ it! Where?"

Brian rolled his eyes, not surprised by his lover's reaction. "Uh, uh, uh...I told you before. It's a secret. That's all I'm telling you." Gus giggled as Brian told him, "Isn't it, Sonny Boy?" He laughed at the pouting expression on Justin's face as he relented slightly. "Okay, I WILL tell you this much. It's American food, ungodly expensive, and even YOU will be stuffed after they get done with you."

Justin's eyes lit up in delight. "Sweet! We're going to Alexander's! I've been craving a big, juicy ribeye with steak fries and macaroni and cheese all week. And their Mile-High Milky Way cake is amazing! I can almost taste it now." He and Gus exchanged a high-five, making the little boy giggle as Brian's mouth hung open in astonishment.

"I didn't mention that restaurant."

Justin awarded him with an amused look. "Come on, Brian. Really? We both know that is Gus's favorite restaurant. I have that menu memorized by now, and they always serve very generous portions. How easier could you have made it?"

"You're good, Justin!" Gus praised him with awe. "You should be a detect...detect.." Gus furrowed his brow, struggling to think of the entire word.

"Detective," Brian answered as Gus nodded. "I don't think that'll work, Sonny Boy. Our not-so-little server turned artiste has his heart set on being the next, greatest painter." He curled his lips under. "Hey, have you tried food coloring for paint? Server, artist. It makes sense."

Justin grinned. "Has potential. I'll check it out sometime."

"Well, he does draw really good," Gus agreed. "He makes pretty pictures."

"Well...draws well," Brian gently corrected him. For whatever reason, he felt it important to do that. No son of HIS would grow up not knowing proper English and grammar. His son would be encouraged and nurtured to do whatever he decided he wanted to do as an adult, but even he knew how imperative it was to make a good impression, both in appearance AND speech, in order to achieve success in the white-collar world. In a way, it was a good thing Justin was an artist, because he could actually get away with his more 'casual, paint-splattered' look. He smirked as a thought came to him for a possible wedding gift. Wedding. Wow. How did this happen? he wondered. But it didn't make him nervous; not anymore. The moment Justin had said yes, that had all disappeared.

Gus nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he does that, too."

Both men laughed as Brian stated, "I think that's enough viewing for tonight, Sonny Boy. Your hands must be getting cold. I should have brought your gloves. Let's go warm up my two favorite boys with some fatty, high-calorie food at Alexander's." Just before the three of them could return to the incline car, his phone buzzed, signaling an incoming text. Reaching to grasp his son by the waist to gently lower him to the ground, he slid the phone out of his pocket and read the message. He snorted. "Plus, our prime donna doctor-to-be is growing impatient to eat. And, of course, she wants to know all about what happened. Along with your mom."

Justin grinned; that didn't surprise him, at least, not about the curiosity part. "But she was supposed to work tonight," he pointed out. "She's always told me that she would rather have a toe extracted, than miss one of As...uh...Ayres' clinicals." Actually, his best friend's term for him in private was usually 'Asshole Ayres,' but he figured right now wasn't the time to divulge that in front of Gus, who, as usual, was absorbing every detail with his big, inquisitive eyes and his acute hearing.

Brian smirked. "Well, she may be limping tonight when you see her, then, because she's there...and chomping at the bit to hear all the details. After I explained what I was going to do tonight, then she couldn't come up with an excuse fast enough. She just wanted you to _think_ she was working tonight." Brian reached to grasp his son's hand, jumping slightly in dismay over just how cold it felt. "Your hands ARE really cold, Gus!" He began to rub his hand briskly with bought of his to quickly warm it up before repeating it with the other one, urging him, "Let's get back to the car." He glanced over at Justin, observing him shivering slightly himself. "You, too, Sunshine." Wrapping one arm around his son and one around his fiancé, the trio walked back toward the heated car. Sliding open the door for Gus to enter, Justin grabbed Brian's wrist, letting the door slide back to enclose the little boy in its warmth.

"Justin?" Brian inquired, one eyebrow raised. "It's cold out here..."

Justin glanced down at the shiny piece of jewelry, reflecting off the small lights outlining the viewing area. "I never thought I could be this happy." He still found it hard to believe; not only the marriage proposal, but just everything that had happened in the past few years to completely change his life. Before then, he had never known either Brian or his son existed; now, he couldn't imagine not being in their lives, because they were family now. And what happened tonight clearly showed that Brian felt the same. It made his heart swell and threaten to overflow.

Brian pulled Justin to him with his suit lapels to gaze into his lover's eyes. "Neither could I," he admitted softly. "But you mean the world to me. And to Gus." He leaned in to gently press his lips against Justin's to give him a kiss, only breaking apart when he heard a muffled, exasperated "Daddy, not again!" emerge from the car. "I'm hungry!"

Both men turned their heads and laughed at Gus's expression. "Okay, Sonny Boy," Brian called over to him as he slid the door back once more and the two men entered. Pressing a button in the corner to signify they were ready to return to the station, the car lurched slightly and began to move as Gus pressed his face against the glass on the opposite side. Justin's jewelry-clad hand reached over automatically to clasp Brian's in a reassuring gesture. But for once, though, Brian didn't feel anxious or fearful of all over the high elevation. In fact, he felt like flying.


End file.
